Officials in a Rhode Island district say new procedures adopted to address negative meal balances appear to be working, with unpaid debt decreasing and many parents choosing to make payments in advance. Under the new procedure, parents and principals are notified when students' accounts reach a negative balance of $10, at which point they are served a modified lunch of a sandwich, milk and fruit. Those meals also are charged, and when students' negative balances reach $20, additional notices are sent and the accounts can be closed.